The reciprocal obligations of professors and pupils : an introductory lecture / delivered by Thos. D. Mitchell ... November 3d, 1845.

  • Mitchell, Thomas D. (Thomas Duché), 1791-1865.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The reciprocal obligations of professors and pupils : an introductory lecture / delivered by Thos. D. Mitchell ... November 3d, 1845. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    sort! nuibt ho pledged to the enterprise. E;cn though mutation were not stamped on all terrcslh 1 obj( 6ls, lie must be a perpetual student. How much more imperatjvo tho obligation, when ho knows that change is deep infixed by the finger of tho Deity, on every thing below the stars; that even his own dear self is not the .same in all respects, that it was a year ago. Tho hourly development 6f new fads and tho ;:t displays of the newly discos< red resources of Nature, demand the incessant exercise of vigorous int< lligence, careful observation find persistent r< flection, lie, therefore, who ventures to the conflict, armed only with the rusty weapons of past experience, will speedily realise, to.his extreme mortification, that truth, in her onward flight, lias left him far in the rear. Nor should the professor bo impelled simply by the feeling of am- bition, .so peculiar to men of science. The claims of common honesty, based on the giving of an equivalent for value received, should have their due wciglil ; and hi addition to this, he should possess a sufficient share of the esprit du corps, to stimulate him to ever) honorable ef- fort, by which tho welfare of the school with which he id identified, may be fixed on a firm basis. Secondly: hi the term allotted to a course of lectures i? too brief to permit an ext< ncled view of any subject, justice demands of the Professor, to direct the attention of his pupils to such points as are best suited 1o qualify for professional usefulness. It is well known, (hat few Professors succeed in a complete presentation of'their full course: of lectures, hi one session, They intend to do so, hut they often fail. Contingencies, sometimes unavoidable, operate Jo disap- point reason ,1 I • expectation, and the desired end is not fully attained. But when a Professor, from undue partiality for some special topic, not at all dissociated with bis course, dwells on it at unreasonable length, he necessarily does injustice to oilier themes, and some of these, il may be, arc of greal practical importance. The Piofessor should not be over anxious to make a display of his various Leading, during his course of lectures, further ihan reference to authorities' may be needful Jo fortify his positions. It is much more within the scop.' of his duty, to give his pupils corn ct views of all the Subjects he thinks it important to teach ; and these should be deduced from copious reading and abundant study; and ho can do all this without m-jufesting undue anxiety; to be thought a kind of walking library. To be successful as :i tc: ch< r < f medic'n:'. it is a! e< lu'< ly indis-